T `n` T: They`re dynamite

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TRAVEL
metronews.ca
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
T ’n’ T: They’re dynamite
Located on the southern edge of the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago (gotrinidadandtobago.com) is the perfect vacation spot for
visitors torn between wanting to lime — island slang for “hang out” — on a deserted beach or enjoy a multicultural city. It is one
country, two experiences; separated not only by time, but also a 20-minute island-hopping flight, or a two-and-a-half hour ferry ride.
dean lisk
travel@metronews.ca
Tobago
Often described as an original
Caribbean experience, Tobago
has so far escaped the onslaught
of single-file all-inclusive resorts
running along entire coastlines
and tourist-oriented restaurants and shops. What it does
have? An authentic vibe lacking on other more populated
islands in the region. That’s not
to say it lacks sophistication.
Tobago — its name is believed
to come from the island word
for tobacco, tavaco — is home
to an impressive jazz festival
that in past years has played
host to Whitney Houston, Erykah Badu, Elton John and Stevie
Wonder.
The winding road
If you can tear yourself away from turtle egg
hatching, go across Tobago to Pigeon Point
Heritage Park. Rather than bird watching,
head out in one of the glass bottom boats to
Buccoo Reef to watch the sea life, or go snorkelling for a closer view. Afterward, grab
a drink at Renmar’s beachside restaurant,
where a buffet-styled meal of goat, beef, fish
and rice and peas is served. You can wash
it down with a bottle of Moet for 800 TT to
1,000 TT (the exchange rate is around 6.5
TT to one Canadian dollar, which means the
champagne will cost around $128 to $160).
While a shuttle takes hotel guests from the Magdalena to Pigeon Point, you may want to
opt for a tour of the island so you can bask at a less popular beach. Englishman’s Bay and
Bloody Bay are more secluded and accessible after following the winding roads that hug
cliffs and straddle lush mountain ridges. If your stomach can handle the hair-pin turns, stop
at Jemma’s Seaview Kitchen and Treehouse Restaurant in Speyside for a dinner of chicken,
shrimp, lobster or fish served family-style with vegetable rice, breadfruit pie and fritters.
To learn more about the island — it changed hands 33 times between the French, English,
Spanish and Dutch since it was first sighted by Columbus in 1498 — visit the museum in Fort
James, high up in the hills on the edge of Scarborough.
More Tobago
Lay your head
• Early next year, Tobago will
be holding a contest to
find a person to live on the
island for two months and
blog, tweet and Facebook
about their experiences.
More details of the contest
will be revealed soon so
pick up Metro for details.
With names like Salaka Grill, Tavaco Lounge and The
Robinson Crusoe bar — it is believed Tobago served as
inspiration for the Daniel Defoe story — the Hotel Magdalena Grand Beach Resort (magdalenagrand.com) references
Tobago history at every turn. Nestled on the eastern shore
of the island, and south of the capital, Scarborough, the
Magdalena offers wind-kissed views of the Atlantic Ocean.
The accordion-shaped complex, designed so every room
faces the water, boasts adult-only infinity pools at both its
northern and southern wings, while a larger pool complex
— complete with swim-up bar — leads down to the ocean
from the main building. Its southern beach is one of the
few stretches of sand on Tobago where, at certain times
of the year, leatherback, green and hawksbill turtles will
lay their eggs. If it happens at night, hotel staff will alert
patrons who may be in Tavaco or the Crusoe enjoying a
Carib or Stag beer.
Flights
Vacation packages
Place a bet
• Off-Road Jeep Safari will
take you on abandoned
plantation roads and mud
tracks, passing by ruined
sugar plantations, deserted
waterfalls and ocean views.
(tobagonow.com/tour01.
htm).
Hotels
LAS VEGAS
An island invention, goat racing has become an annual favourite
among locals and visitors. Started in the 1980s, the races take
place during Easter with purses of a few thousand Trinidadian dollars up for grabs. So how does a goat go from grazer
to gazelle? With the help of a human and a nine-foot rope.
Anthony Horsford is president of Tobago’s goat owners association and also a former goat jockey. “Most people say I was the
best around, but I wouldn’t,” he said. Horsford said a goat can go
as fast as the runner who is following behind the goat and prodding it along — which means 100 metres in 11 or 12 seconds.
Goats are trained for years and are fed special diets. Some
owners pick animals with a certain shape, others go for specific
breeds. Some look for natural ability. Horsford picks his according to the way they walk. He swims them — they have names
like Lucky Star, Fast Money and Silver Baby — 20 minutes a day,
takes them for long walks and feeds them a mix of oats, corn,
dairy and a special “tonic” — a closely guarded secret.
Car rental
Cruises
Things to do
Insurance
Mobile
Bright lights, big savings.
Las Vegas, for less. Book now with Expedia.ca and save up to 50%*
on your stay, all backed by the Expedia.ca Best Price Guarantee†.
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travel
metronews.ca
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Trinidad
More developed than its
northeastern island neighbour,
Trinidad mimics the colourful
costumes of its annual carnival
— with a vibrancy that feels
South American, Caribbean
19
and Indian all at once. With a
respect for the past, and an optimism for the future, the island
has really come into its
own as a sophisticated city
with world-class restaurants
and must-see cultural
events.
Caribbean beats
The next carnival doesn’t take place until early March, but
preparations are well underway for Port of Spain’s daylong
festival. Lasting from early morning to, well, early morning,
the best way to experience it is as part of a team that marches
and dances through the streets together. David Cameron, a
bandleader for the Trini Reveller team recently revealed the
Sultan’s Palace-themed costumes his troupe of 2,500 people
will wear. They range in cost from 2,400 TT for a simple male
outfit, to 150,000 TT for an elaborate Queen costume. Don’t
worry, the cost of the costume includes food and drinks for
the day.
Not sure you can survive more than 20 hours of dancing and drinking? Then visit one of Port of Spain’s many
pan band yards. The national instrument of Trinidad, the
steel pan can be used to stand in for different instruments,
explains Kwesi Paul, arranger for Pandemonium, a steel
orchestra in Port of Spain.
He says some pans act as lead singers, others as guitars
and basses, and even backup vocals to the main sound.
Paul has adapted songs by Rihanna, Adele and others,
including the Bruno Mars song When I Was Your Man and
the jazz classic Summertime.
More Trinidad
• Both WestJet and Caribbean Airlines fly non-stop
from Toronto to Port of
Spain.
Hanuman and temples
Sail, swim, sing
It may come as a surprise at first, but Trinidad is home to the largest
statue of the Hindu deity Hanuman — the monkey god — outside of
Asia. The statue is located in Carapichaima, south of the capital, and
is part of the larger Sri Dattatreya Yoga Centre — classes are offered
to the public. The Indian population in Trinidad dates back to the
1830s, when indentured labourers were brought over to work the
sugar plantations after slavery ended on the island. Their stories are
told at The Indian Caribbean Museum, located near the ashram. A
few kilometres away on the coast is The Temple in the Sea, which
was built by labourer Sewdass Sadhu, as a place where he and other
Hindus could worship during colonial times. No one owned the sea,
believed Sadhu, whose creation rose from the Gulf of Paria in the
1930s. End your visit to the temples with a meal at Alpine Restaurant
in Couva. Goat, chicken or beef curry is served with roti bread, rice
and a side dish called kuchla — made from mango, black pepper and
Indian seasoning.
The northwestern coast of Trinidad is considered to be
Port of Spain’s backyard, with beaches, trails, fishing, and
— most importantly — shark and bake, a local street food
made from small shark covered in batter and deep fried. A
popular place to try this local delicacy is Richard’s, located
steps from the light brown sandy beach of Macqueripe
Bay. The area is also home to Trinidad’s first permanent
zip line, Zip-ITT Adventure Tours, designed to take you
through the canopy with seven lines located high above
the forest floor. The cost is a very reasonable 120 TT
(around $20) per person. For those who prefer to stay on
land — or on a boat — a tour of the islands off the peninsula will introduce you to some of the country’s history
— like an old leper colony — the summer homes of some
of the country’s elite, secluded bays perfect for swimming
and maybe even a few passing dolphins.
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• Save $100 per couple1
OCTOBER 31
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• In such a multicultural and
diverse country, there are
a number of tours you can
take. Among those offered
by Gail’s Exclusive Tour
Services are aphrodisiac adventures, where you taste
some of the spices and
island locales guaranteed
to leave you swooning,
and a Trini for a Day package where you spend the
day with a local family.